Slaven Bilic has revealed that he recently turned down the chance to manage Schalke 04.
Croatia boss reveals that Bundesliga side recently approached him
Croatia manager Slaven Bilic has revealed that he has recently turned down the chance to manage Bundesliga side Schalke.
The former West Ham and Everton defender has often been tipped to manage in the Premier League but according to Bilic the German club were keen on him to succeed recently sacked boss Fred Rutten.
It has been rumoured that the 40-year-old will step down from his position with the Croatian national team after the World Cup in 2010 as he looks to seek new challenges.
Bilic led Croatia to the European Championship in Austria and Switzerland in 2008 at the expense of England but they currently face a fight on their hands if they are to qualify for South Africa with England leading the way.
"The people from Schalke were in Zagreb on Sunday and we spoke," Bilic told German tabloid
Bild ahead of his side's World Cup qualifier against Andorra.
"It is a huge honour for me to be considered a candidate with such a big club.
"I thanked them and repeated that I just want to focus on the Croatia national team at the moment."
Denial
Meanwhile Schalke have denied that they met with Bilic and stated that the Croat would not be taking charge any time soon.
"There has been no direct contact between Schalke 04 and the manager of Croatia," a club statement read.
"Slaven Bilic will not become manager of Schalke 04, neither now nor at the end of the season."
Schalke have also been rumoured to want Chelsea's sporting director Frank Arnesen to fill their vacant general manager role within the club after Andreas Muller was sacked earlier this month.
Former Bayern Munich keeper Oliver Kahn was said to have rejected the post before Arnesen's name cropped up.
